toooo bad they don't have the Right to Keep and Bear Arms... oh well, let's hope it's a learning experience.
Posted on 12/13/2005 6:41:14 AM PST by aculeus
POLICE prepared to impose a virtual blockade on Sutherland Shire last night, erecting checkpoints on every main access road to prevent a repeat of the race riots at Cronulla.
And State Parliament will be recalled tomorrow to give police emergency powers to lock down parts of Sydney, ban the sale of alcohol, conduct random searches and confiscate vehicles.
An extra 450 police took to the streets in expectation of a third night of racial tension. Officers restricted in-bound traffic to Cronulla to one lane and checked every car passing a checkpoint on Kingsway, at the corner of Wilbar Avenue, from about 9pm. Queues stretched back about 200 cars as police searched the boots of some for weapons.
Police imposed the same restrictions on the northern entrance to Tom Ugly's Bridge following reports that 40 cars were on their way from Lakemba. They prepared to do the same at Captain Cook and Alfords Point bridges and, to the south, on the Princes Highway between Heathcote Road and the Old Princes Highway, and at New Illawarra Road. They monitored cars passing these points but by late last night had not blocked them. There were unconfirmed reports that a convoy of about 30 cars managed to enter Cronulla about 10pm via back roads.
At least 200 officers were deployed at the suburb and more than 150 units patrolled flashpoints in Maroubra, Brighton-le-Sands and Lakemba. On Monday night mobs fired guns, smashed shops and randomly bashed people, injuring eight.
Before erecting the checkpoints, police had stopped several cars entering Cronulla about 8pm and searched them for weapons. One car carried seven men, one of whom fled on Kingsway, dropping a knife. Police also moved three large groups of locals off Cronulla Beach and arrested one who was carrying a knife. By 8.30 the rain had dispersed many of those who had gathered. An officer said: "The rain is our friend."
Police stopped a white sedan, carrying four teenagers, on a backroad coming off Captain Cook Drive about 10pm.
They also stopped a car on Taren Point Road to question four men and one woman of Middle Eastern appearance.
The driver of the white sedan, who gave his name as Mim, of Merrylands, said it was unfair that police were targeting innocent members of his community.
About 10 officers ordered Mim and his friends from the car and searched their personal effects. They then told the teenagers to leave the shire. Mim said: "We've done nothing wrong. We've just been to visit a girl at Mortdale and came here for a drive."
The Premier, Morris Iemma, said yesterday he wanted to beef up police powers to control the movement of rampaging gangs.
"These criminals have declared war on our society and we are not going to let them win," he said. "As a result we are going to give new powers to our police."
The Opposition Leader, Peter Debnam, said Sydney had become a "war zone, with roaming gangs of hundreds of ethnic thugs and the stockpiling of weapons and Molotov cocktails".
The emergency bills, revealed by the Herald yesterday, are expected to be passed at a special sitting tomorrow and could be in force within hours. They will certainly be in place for this weekend's expected clash at Cronulla.
Mr Iemma did not care how much it cost to recall Parliament.
The Herald has learnt the police have drawn up a secret plan to marshal a mobile force of 500 officers to deal with violence this summer. The strikeforce will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until at least the end of January. The plan includes the cancellation of most Christmas holiday leave.
Assistant Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said police had held talks with their Victorian and Queensland counterparts about bringing in interstate officers. He confirmed "more than a couple" of Molotov cocktails were seized at Maroubra on Monday.
The Prime Minister, John Howard, yesterday tried to play down the damage riots had done to Australia's reputation. "Every country has incidents that don't play well overseas," he said. "People make a judgement about this country over a longer term."
The new powers are modelled on those police had during the 2000 Olympics. They are aimed at preventing a repeat of the violence Sydney has suffered since Sunday. The powers will allow police to place an area under their control, enabling them to search people, ban vehicles and confiscate weapons or alcohol. The lock-downs will last for up to 48 hours unless a court extends them.
Police will also be able to shut down licensed premises and declare alcohol-free zones.
Presumption against bail will also make it harder for suspected rioters to get back on the streets during times of unrest. All 27 people arrested in the past two days over the riots have been granted bail.
THE CLAMPDOWN
Police will get the power to:
- search all vehicles and people entering an area.
- shut down pubs and bottle shops in a riot.
- declare temporary alcohol-free zones.
- confiscate cars of those involved in disorder.
Presumption of bail for riot, affray and violent disorder will be removed.
Maximum terms for riot and affray will now be 15 years.
"At least 200 officers were deployed at the suburb and more than 150 units patrolled flashpoints in Maroubra, Brighton-le-Sands and Lakemba. On Monday night mobs fired guns, smashed shops and randomly bashed people, injuring eight."
but the aussie gov't confiscated all the guns to make it safer..isn't it nice to know the bad guys still have them making the invaded neighborhoods unprotectable by it's citizens?
yup..just because they SAY they're innocent doesn't make it so..
I heard about a cache of molotov's being found yesterday... looks like the muzzies are following the Paris game-plan.
The truth will get out, even if by dribs and drabs.
I'm afraid that this will fan the flames. [smirk]
Yes Mr. Howard, this has made an impression on me concerning your country.....I would much rather visit Australia and feel safer in your country than in France, the Australians do not buckle under to islamic thugs, at least not their citizens unlike the French.
One has to profile right though. There are plenty of "Middle Eastern-looking" Christians, and some of the "native" Australians were shouting something like "Down with the Lebs!," meaning the Lebanese, and a lot of Lebanese are Christians.
The truly sad part is that the 'These people' to which Mr. Iemma sneeringly refers are the native Aussies and not the rabid, gang-raping, window-smashing Muslims. Liberalism is a mental illness.
Oh yeah. It's summer in Aussieland!!!!! Can I go?
Seems the Aussies are prepared to handle these situations, unlike their Frog counterparts.
"Mim said: "We've done nothing wrong. We've just been to visit a girl at Mortdale and came here for a drive."
For some reason, I don't believe Mim.
I wasn't talking about Muslims. They can target Muslims all they want, whether Indonesian, Pakistani, or Arab (there in lies the problem - there are Christians from those places too).
Well, those Christians must understand that profiling by the police in order to restore order is essential for their safety as well.
>>>The only right way to restore the civil order is to target Muslims. Period. It would be unrealistic to think that the police can identify good Muslims from bad muslims.
But how do the police target Muslims? Are you suggesting that Muslims should wear a yellow crescent on their clothing at all times?
It's an easy distinction. If they assimilate, obey the law of the land, and act as normal, everyday citizens, they are "good" Muslims.
If, on the other hand, they ghettoize, force the Hijab, demand Islamic culture be "recognized", etc . . . they are "Bad" Muslims. As such, one should take measures that they are increasingly more identifiable. I suggest switching their status from "breathing" to "not breathing" as a further identifier. . . (evil grin)
I certainly hope that you're not suggesting that profiling by police to maintain civil order and to protect the safety of their citizens is morally equivalent to the Nazi treatment of Jews?
(Muzzies) "We've done nothing wrong. We've just been to visit a girl at Mortdale and came here for a drive."
Police: Then you won't mind finding somewhere else to drive.
toooo bad they don't have the Right to Keep and Bear Arms... oh well, let's hope it's a learning experience.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.